Brother Scar and Yu Xiaogang's Inexplicable Fate, an Equal Exchange?

A high-quality fifty-thousand-year Spirit Bone—if even one of those made its way into the outside world, it could stir up a massive bloodbath.

By then, Soul Masters across the continent would go mad fighting over it. Murder, arson, wiping out entire families and clans—there would be nothing they would not do.

Yet Tang Hao had six of them. Six!!!

Just thinking about it made his mouth water...

Even if he did not use them himself, he could save them for Xiao Wu in the future.

Xiao Wu did not even have a single Spirit Bone yet. If he could get all six of Tang Hao's Spirit Bones...

Zhao Linchuan licked his lips, his gaze deep and shadowed.

"No. I need to find a way to lure Tang Hao out, then kill him without alerting anyone else."

His fingers lightly tapped against his arm as his mind raced.

Given Tang Hao's current condition, his strength was at most level ninety-two, perhaps even lower.

Over the years, he had drowned himself in alcohol and regret, indulging in pleasure and neglecting his cultivation. Not only had his old injuries failed to heal, they had grown worse and worse.

Moreover, those old wounds had never been properly cured. They had long since developed from hidden injuries into chronic ailments.

Once poisoned, he would surely die.

The problem now was how to lure him out.

As he pondered, Zhao Linchuan crossed two streets, turned into a dim, narrow alley, and stopped before an inconspicuous iron door.

He raised a hand and knocked three times, one long and two short. The small window in the iron door slid open with a swish. A pair of eyes examined him in the darkness for a moment before the door silently opened.

He entered an underground tavern.

The tavern was dimly lit, with only a few oil lamps hanging on the walls. Their orange flames swayed in the draft, stretching shadows long and short.

Zhao Linchuan sat down in a booth in the corner. Across from him sat a burly middle-aged man known as Brother Scar.

The man had a broad, powerful build. Without exchanging pleasantries, Zhao Linchuan got straight to the point and said calmly:

"Yu Xiaogang, around twenty-nine years old, Soul Power Level fifty. His Martial Soul is a pig."

"He probably has a square face, a full beard, and a medium but somewhat lean build. He likes wearing white socks."

"He is the second young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, though he has already been expelled from the sect."

"He is highly educated and eloquent."

He rotated the wine cup in his hand, then looked up at Brother Scar.

"Well, can you..."

Before he could finish—

"Smack!"

Brother Scar had already slapped a black card onto the table.

He spoke impatiently. "There are thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins on this. Is it enough? If not, I can add more."

"What do you mean?"

Zhao Linchuan's hand paused slightly, and a momentary look of confusion appeared on his face.

Was he not supposed to pay them, and then have them handle the job?

How had it become them paying him?

Could it be that they wanted him to do the job?

"What do you mean?"

Brother Scar repeated his question. He leaned forward, both thick arms braced against the table, the light in his eyes practically overflowing as he said impatiently:

"Give me his address, and this money is yours."

"Huh?"

Zhao Linchuan leaned back in his chair hesitantly. His gaze swept across Brother Scar's face, written all over with hunger, then shifted to the black card on the table. He tested the waters.

"He is the second young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect. Aren't you going to think this over?"

"Think it over? There is nothing to think over!"

Brother Scar waved a hand and explained:

"That identity as the second young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect is exactly what we want!"

"A beauty like him, with status, position, a high level of education, and a top-tier body and face..."

"If I do not take him down quickly, he will fall into someone else's hands!"

Zhao Linchuan fell silent for a moment, then the corners of his mouth slowly lifted.

"Then it seems our cooperation will be very pleasant." He took out a marked map from his Soul Tool and spread it across the table.

"Pleasure doing business."

Brother Scar did not even glance at Zhao Linchuan. He grabbed the map and held it up beneath the oil lamp, squinting as he studied it carefully.

"Farewell!"

Zhao Linchuan said no more. He pocketed the black card, rose to his feet, and turned to leave.

His figure disappeared into the darkness beyond the iron door. His footsteps gradually faded, soon swallowed by the tavern's clamor.

"No need to see you out!"

Brother Scar did not even raise his head. He casually tossed out the words, his full attention fixed on the map.

A moment later, a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. He abruptly rose to his feet and summoned his subordinate.

"Call all the brothers back. Tell them an abandoned princess needs us to save her!"

"Do you mean all thirty-six brothers?" The subordinate licked his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing as the same greedy light flashed in his eyes.

"That is right." Brother Scar nodded and patted his subordinate on the shoulder. In an earnest tone, he said, "A top-tier prize like this does not come around often. The brothers must get a good 'taste.'"

"Yes!" The subordinate answered and immediately turned to notify the others.

About half an hour later.

Peony Garden, Suite 520.

With a bang, the door was pushed open, and Zhao Linchuan entered carrying bags in both hands.

"Food!" Zhao Linchuan piled everything in his hands onto the table and called toward the inner room. "After we eat, we'll go out and have a good look around Suotuo City."

"Coming!"

Xiao Wu's voice came from the inner room. She jogged out to greet him, took the bags from his hands, and placed the items on the table one by one.

Zhu Zhuqing followed behind her, head lowered and face red. She did not dare look up at Zhao Linchuan and merely helped set out the bowls and chopsticks in silence.

A moment later, everything was ready, and the three of them sat around the dining table.

The aroma of food filled the room, but Xiao Wu unusually did not rush to pick up her chopsticks.

She put on gloves and carefully peeled shrimp, removing the shells and cleaning out the veins. She neatly arranged the plump, springy white shrimp meat on a small plate.

After filling an entire plate, she pushed it before Zhao Linchuan and spoke somewhat bashfully:

"Big brother, hurry and try some."

Zhao Linchuan looked at the plate of shrimp, then at Xiao Wu's face, which clearly said, I have something to ask of you. He chuckled, lightly tapped his chopsticks against the edge of the plate, and said teasingly:

"Xiao Wu, unprompted kindness always hides an ulterior motive."

"Tell me, what do you want me to buy for you this time?"

"Oh, it is not that I want to buy anything. It happened like this..."

Xiao Wu recounted, word for word, what she and Zhu Zhuqing had discussed earlier.

"...That is what happened."

After speaking, she blinked those large eyes of hers, her lashes fluttering with expectation.

"Big brother, please help her. Zhuqing is so pitiful."

Zhu Zhuqing also put down her chopsticks, sat up straight, and looked at Zhao Linchuan. In a firm voice, she said:

"If you can help me, Zhuqing is willing to make an equal exchange."

(Please keep reading, or the editor will tell me to quit again!)